A Legacy in Ash
by NoMeImporta32
Summary: After Endeavor becomes the #1 hero, Dabi begins attacking members of the Todoroki family. Relationships are tested as secrets are exposed.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **This should go without saying, but I do not own My Hero Academia.

**Author's Note:** I want to thank Dragonlover2143 and rainbowrider1290 for betaing my story. Enjoy!

* * *

The hospital halls were quiet, but that was expected when one was up at such an ungodly hour. The white walls gave a very sterile atmosphere with only a few splashes of color here and there. The jingling of keys in his hand were a testament to how secure the building was. If it were not for these keys, he and his accomplice would not have even made it through the lobby. Everything was locked. It made sense. Not all the patients here were safe to be around others or themselves, but again it was expected in a psychiatric hospital. Though as violent as some of these patients were, Dabi doubted that anyone of them could measure up to a B-class villain like himself. The two smoldering corpses back in the security hub were proof of that.

His partner did not handle that little precaution well as he ended up emptying his stomach in the nearest trash can. Dabi had rolled his eyes at the younger man's reaction, but at least he hadn't complained too much about his methods, even if he didn't agree with them. As long as they avoided the nurses' station, there should be no reason for a repeat of that performance tonight. The numbers on the doors ticked closer to their acquired target with each step, until finally they were there.

After unlocking the door, Dabi gently pushed it open and stepped in first. The room was simple and small. To his right, there was a sink with a mirror overlooking it and some cabinets. To his left, a TV and stand sat, facing the bed, with a small table in the back corner. The only source of light was the moonlight streaming from the window as an Autumn Bellflower silently basked from its perch on the windowsill.

The woman in the bed stirred as if she could sense his intrusion. At the sight of her, Dabi's heart skipped a beat and waved his partner over to her side. Rei Todoroki noticed their silhouettes in the shadows, jerking up in fear. The room temperature began to drop, but it didn't matter. Dabi knew his Quirk could easily overpower hers. Though, that wouldn't be necessary as his partner worked his magic.

Instead, Dabi idly wondered if she recognized him or if she heard of his deeds with the League. Not that it mattered. For tonight, Dabi wasn't with the League. It was the same case as yesterday when Dabi decided to challenge Endeavor and Hawks after they beat the High-End Nomu.

Technically, Hawks wasn't supposed to bring someone as powerful as Endeavor and Dabi's only job was to ensure that Nomu stayed out of the heroes' hands. Both had failed, but the former bothered Dabi much more than he liked to admit. Dabi could have finished Endeavor right there and then, but Mirko just had to show up and ruin it all. Now, though… Dabi smiled to himself. Now, there were no heroes to stop him. Blue flames leapt off his fingers and began to devour the room before him.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: **I still do not own My Hero Academia.

**Author's Note:** I want to thank Dragonlover2143 and rainbowrider1290 for betaing my story. Enjoy!

* * *

_How could this have happened?_

Backdraft sighed. That was the question that constantly assaulted him on the streets. He has heard it hundreds of times on the sites of numerous fires. People in shock as their whole world went down in flames. He felt sympathy for them. He really did, but he had a job to do first and sympathy wouldn't be much help here.

Especially here.

He had never fought flames with such a glowing blue intensity before. Their heat disintegrated everything it touched. So far, they had only two confirmed deaths and four still missing. Fortunately, most of the fire seemed to be contained in one wing of the psychiatric hospital.

Unfortunately, it was the wing with the most people and these people were the ones who didn't handle stress well. Trying to get them out took longer than Backdraft would have liked and their meltdowns were not helping in the slightest. If anything, it only contributed to the chaos and confusion. Thankfully, the staff had methods for handling them during such disasters.

To make it worse or better, Endeavor appeared. Naturally, the first thing the Flame Hero tried to do is order people around. Backdraft didn't have time for a power struggle with the number one ranked hero.

"Endeavor! If you could keep the flames in the far side back, we can get to the last of the people still trapped inside and finally have a chance to put out the fire!" Backdraft yelled over to him, half-expecting the other hero to ignore him or argue. The man, dressed in flames, instead surprised everyone in nodding and running inside to do as he was told. Guess the rumors about Endeavor turning over a new leaf were not as exaggerated as the firefighter thought, but there was no time to dwell on that when the fire needed his attention more. With Endeavor's help, the fire was out in under an hour.

However, that didn't seem to help the agitated man in the least as he stopped various staff, asking after a certain patient. Rei Todoroki was one of the few that remained unaccounted for. Backdraft had heard of the mysterious wife of the Flame Hero, of course, but never met her and certainly didn't know that she had been among those who resided here. Thankfully, most of the patients had been relocated to another hospital, but it seemed a handful of patients had slipped away in the chaos and the police was coordinating with doctors on potential locations. For Endeavor's sake, Backdraft hoped Rei was one of them.

They pulled five corpses from the fire, charred beyond recognition. Two were suspected to be the missing security guards as they had been found in the remains of the security hub, but their deaths puzzled Backdraft. Given the distance between where the fire was contained and the security hub, the intensity of the burns on their corpses didn't make sense. It looked like they had been in the center of the fire, rather than on its outskirts.

The same could be said for the equipment in the room, whereas the room itself showed little signs of fire damage. With the equipment destroyed and tapes melted, Backdraft doubted forensics would be able to recover any footage of what happened here, but it was starting to point to arson. This seemed too planned to just be a random fire.

Once the fire inspector told Backdraft of where the ignition point of the fire was, he was positive that this had been an attack. The fire started in Rei Todoroki's room, who was a known ice-user. There was no way she could have accidentally started a fire, not to this scale or intensity in such a short time. This fire instantly killed the occupants closest to Rei's room and likely vaporized Rei herself. She was most likely the target, afterall. Yes, this was starting to sound more and more like the work of a villian. Most likely, one who had a personal vendetta against Enji Todoroki, rather than Endeavor, to strike such a blow.

Backdraft didn't relish sharing this with the number one hero, but it was necessary if his theory about someone targeting Endeavor through his family was true. He expected the prideful man's infamous temper and for him to turn all his attention to hunting down the villian who did this. What the firefighter didn't expect was the slumping of shoulders and the complete lost look overtaking the larger man's face, upon the news of his wife's probable death. While the reaction wasn't out of the norm for victims and survivors of such disasters, Backdraft would have never thought he would ever witness it on the stoic titan.

"How could this have happened?" A choked out whisper barely escaped Endeavor's lips with that accursed question, but this held more meaning than simple shock.

_How, indeed. _Backdraft pondered. Unsure what to do with the grieving hero, the firefight turned his attention back on the case at hand. How did the villain get access to such a secure wing of the hospital? How did he get past security without raising any alarms? How did he know which room was Rei Todoroki's? The admittance of a famous hero's wife would be a well-guarded secret, particularly from the public.

"Endeavor, who knew that your wife was here?" Backdraft asked gently. Probably not the best time to be questioning the man, but Backdraft wanted to give the police as much as he could. He never wanted to see another fire like this again. Sensitivity be damned.

"Just the…" He paused, searching for the right word before settling on, "children and the doctors in charge of her treatment. No one else was to know."

Just like that, all fragility was gone as Enji once again resembled Endeavor, the immoveable hero. With his words, the information clicked within his mind too. With new purpose, Endeavor stormed off like a torpedo locked on a target. There had to be a mole inside the hospital.

_Hopefully, that would be enough of a lead for Detective Naomasa Tsukauchi to work with._ Backdraft thought, still observing Endeavor's departure. Someone had sold out that poor woman's information and now she and several other loved ones were dead. Backdraft shivered at the thought of what Endeavor might do to the culprit once he caught up to him.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: **Own My Hero Academia, I do not.

**Author's Note:** I want to thank Dragonlover2143 and rainbowrider1290 for betaing my story. This will be a short chapter. Next one is longer. Good luck!

* * *

_One man to blame for this_, Enji thought savagely, marching away from the hospital's ruins. _One man whose Quirk created this damned blue fire_. _One man who openly called me out as Todoroki_.

Dabi.

The hero knew that he was not short on enemies and that list only grew with the announcement of him rising to be number one, but that particular villain… Endeavor clearly remembered his words.

"Break a leg out there! But don't go kickin' the bucket! Todoroki Enji!"

Secret identities weren't really a thing anymore. Not with so much attention on hero schools and their products. But, villains had never acknowledged his alter ego instead of his heroic persona before.

_There had to be more to this. After all, why now?_ Enji pondered, finally slowing his pace as the scent of burning ash only lingered faintly in the air. He knew Shoto had crossed paths with the killer in the past and had called him out as a Todoroki, but that was weeks ago and there hadn't been any attacks like this… until now… When Endeavor finally became number one…

Enji stopped short on a street corner. In the distance, he could see the sun slowly making its ascent. The ball of fire pricked at his eyes in its intensity, forcing the hero to look away. Thoughts of All Might's retirement peppered his mind as he struggled to put the pieces together, but all it did was leave more questions.

One thing was clear, the Todorokis were a target, likely due to Endeavor's unsatisfactory rise to number one. He wanted to earn that position, not be given it. After All Might's retirement, it felt everything he had done to achieve his goal was for naught, but he will prove worthy of the role set before him. Enji swore that he will bring Dabi to justice.

For Rei, he will make sure these crimes do not go unpunished. She deserved that and much more. Enji will never have the chance now to keep his first promise of being a better man to her, but he will keep this one in her memory.

Despite the burning desire to begin his manhunt, Endeavor still recognized that he has another duty he must perform first. He had to inform the children of their mother's passing. He started walking. This task may prove to be the hardest of all.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: **If I could, I would. Since I don't, I won't.

**Author's Note:** I want to thank Dragonlover2143 and rainbowrider1290 for betaing my story. Enjoy!

* * *

Fuyumi waved the last of her students good-bye with a smile, which fell as soon as the children darted out the door. The other teachers were surprised when the young woman came back to work only a week after her mother's funeral, but she needed this, needed to be here. Hearing her students' echoing laughter eased the weight on her heart. Usually, she enjoyed seeing the parents pick their kids up from her after-school program from the window in the teachers' lounge.

Watching the children with their parents had reignited a childhood dream in her. She liked to pretend that those families would be her family. She would imagine her siblings all together—Toya, Natsuo, Shoto, and herself naturally—smiling and laughing with their parents looking on. Sometimes, they were building castles on the beach. Other times, they were playing board games in the house. In every scenario, one thing was constant. They were happy. No heroes, no separation, no Quirks.

_Just a family._

When their father made a vow to change, Fuyumi had begun to think that her dream might actually become a reality. Today, she just walked back over to her desk to prepare material for tomorrow. The tragic news of her mother's death finally killed it while garnering much sympathy from the public, unwittingly pouring salt in Fuyumi's broken heart by treating them as if they had been a real family. Then, talk shows had spun them into a source of gossip, turning sympathy to backlash. Everyone now knew that the Tokorokis were broken, perhaps even beyond repair. Maybe, they always had been, but she had been too optimistic, delusional, and childish to realize the truth.

So, Fuyumi didn't go the teachers' lounge to watch the happy families. Her wistfulness and joy withered into envy at the sight of them. She didn't want to overhear any more of her coworkers' whispers either. She knew what they were saying.

"_Did you hear about Todoroki Rei? She was the wife of the new number one hero."_

Fuyumi would never see her mother again.

"_Yeah, she died in the hospital fire, the poor thing. Wonder why she was there in the first place."_

Toya would never come back.

"_Abused to insanity, so they say. Rumor has it that she wasn't the only one though."_

Natsuo would never forgive their father.

"_Endeavor physically abused his own children and we have him as our greatest hero! What is the world coming to?"_

They would never develop a bond with Shoto.

"_Growing up under that, it is a miracle any of them actually want to be heroes."_

Their father would never change.

"_Heard Endeavor vowed to be a better man. I wonder how long that will last."_

The Todorokis would never be a family.

With that realization, she couldn't bear to be alone in her apartment anymore and the Todoroki House… Well, she might as well visit a war zone. Natsuo could not stop screaming abuse at their father once he told them what had happened to their mother. Shoto stood stunned, like a living statue. Not that she was much help either. All Fuyumi could do was cry.

"Great, I'm tearing up again_._" She mumbled, rubbing her eyes dry. Thankfully, there was never a shortage of Kleenex in a classroom. She took a deep breath and ran a hand through white-red hair, compartmentalizing. Back in control, the young teacher dove into her work. As soon as she finished tomorrow's material, she started on the next day's and then the next.

When she finally looked up, the streaks of orange and pink painted the sky as the sun began to dip into the horizon. Much later than she usually would have stayed.

Damn. How crowded would the trains be at this hour? Fuyumi really wasn't up to being around people at the moment, especially with so many reporters on the lookout for anyone with the last name Todoroki. With All Might's retirement, there were also supervillains to consider. More kept coming out of the woodwork, especially with the acts of terrorism the League of Villains have been taking recently. It won't be long before more villains start stepping up in attacks.

_Like the one who set her mother's room on fire_.

Even though her fa… Even though Endeavor had risen to the number one position, there was still so much fear. He didn't inspire the same comfort as All-Might did. In fact, popular opinion seemed to prefer him being put behind bars after everything he did.

_Like how he abandoned us in our grief_.

"Ugh, stop it. Don't do this to yourself, Fuyumi." She shook her head, standing abruptly. After doing a lap around the classroom to work out the last of her nerves, she texted Natsuo for a ride. He should be out of class by now. At the rate she was going, maybe having company would do her some good. She thought about giving Shoto a call. He may not have been as close to Mom as she was, but there was no doubt that he was still struggling with this. The ice-user doubted Endeavor would have bothered to reach out. Her finger hovered over her younger brother's contact before she closed the phone and placed it back in her pocket.

She could call him tomorrow. She should be getting her stuff together for when Natsuo shows up. A quiet knock on her classroom caused her to jump. Well, speak of the devil…

"Just a sec, Natsuo." She called to him, grabbing her bag from under her desk.

"Nope. Guess again, Ms. Todoroki." Fuyumi froze. She knew that voice. She slowly turned, her turquoise eyes locking on the figure in the doorway.

Dabi.

He was just standing there in a janitor's uniform, flicking the brim of his hat up from his blue eyes. A face mask hung from his left ear. He leaned against the frame as if he was merely waiting for her. For once, she didn't hesitate. Ice flew from her fingers, bearing a barrier between them as she ran towards the second door in the back of the classroom. While she and Natsuo were deemed failures in the eyes of their father, he did instill some basic self-defense in them. The first rule was distract and run.

As expected, her cold barrier was nothing more than a boiling puddle in seconds. Blue flames engulfed the classroom. Fuyumi's lungs burned with each intake of smoke and ash. Relief flooded through her once she reached the exit, despite searing her hands on the hot doorknob. She ripped the door open, only to fall back in horror at the figure in the door. The flames rose even higher.

"_Poor Fuyumi."_


	5. Chapter 5

**El descargo de responsabilidad:** No poseo My Hero Academia.

**Author's Note:** I want to thank Dragonlover2143 and rainbowrider1290 for betaing my story. Enjoy!

* * *

"Firefighters don't know how the fire started, but they suspect that this is the work of the same arsonist responsible for the West Springs Hospital fire. Twenty-three year old teacher, Todoroki Fuyumi, was the only reported casualty in this recent attack and the daughter of a victim of the previous fire, Todoroki Rei. At this point, detectives suspect this is a coordinated attack on the Todoroki family. Todoroki Enji, known as the Flame Hero Endeavor, was unavailable for comment, but has been reported to be cooperating with the police's investigation. Back to you, Takato." Iida flicked the television off and glanced over at his classmate.

It was supposed to be a peaceful evening. Most of their classmates were either goofing off somewhere or working on their own homework in their rooms. Iida, Midoriya, Uraraka, and Todoroki were taking advantage of the rare quiet in the dorms to work on the math project from Ectoplasm-sensei. The class representative liked to listen to the news in the background, but today, he wished he left it off.

"Todoroki-kun?" Uraraka hesitated, unsure of what to say to the boy sitting across from her. Midoriya placed a hand on his friend's shoulder, despite the rising to extreme temperatures.

Todoroki knew he should say something, especially since his friends looked so concerned for him, but nausea robbed him of his voice. Todoroki thought he might puke if he opens his mouth. Instead, ice crawled across the table as he grappled with control over the storm of emotion in his head. The fresh wounds over the loss of his mother had been gouged into once more and left bleeding in his heart. He wanted to… to… But there wasn't anything he could do, was there?

"I'm sorry." The green-haired boy croaked with tears running down his face. Todoroki knocked his hand off, standing abruptly. His mind was racing as the dual-Quirk user began to pace, ignoring whatever his friends were saying. First his mother and now his sister… Whoever was doing this, they seem to be running down the family tree… which meant his brother was probably next. His head snapped up from his muttering with realization.

_Natsuo! With everyone focused on the fire, the villain might go after Natsuo! _

Without a word, Todoroki dashed towards the door. A new goal, a new purpose pushed him forward. In his haste, he failed to see Aizawa-sensei entering the space and crashed into his teacher. Though, if one were to ask Todoroki, it was more like crashing into a brick wall.

"And, just where are you four going?" The tired teacher inquired, helping the student back to his feet. Surprised, Todoroki glanced over his shoulder to see his friends standing a few steps behind him sheepishly. Seeing them willing to follow him, Todoroki felt a surge of gratitude before he turned to face Aizawa-sensei again.

"I have to check on my brother. He could be in danger while everyone is fighting the fire." He stated plainly, biting back his irritation on being delayed. After losing to his homeroom teacher during the Final Exam, Todoroki knew he couldn't beat Aizawa-sensei head-on yet, but he wasn't going to let that stop him.

"No, that won't be necessary." Principal Nezu announced, walking in casually. Before Todoroki could protest, the short mastermind continued, "Hello, students. It's me, Nezu, the one who could be a dog or a mouse or a bear, but more importantly… I'm the principal!"

"But, sir! I have to get to my brother. A villain is targeting my family and he is going down the line! He already got my Mom and sister!" Todoroki's voice cracked as his shock began to wane. The adrenaline behind his determination already abandoned him as a heavy weight settled onto his shoulders. He tried to shake his head clear of the grief bubbling up inside him. Now was not the time!

"Yes. We understand your concerns, young Todoroki. A pair of police officers has already retrieved Natsuo Todoroki from his apartment to a safehouse while your father and the firefighters put out the school." Principal Nezu reassured the agitated boy.

"But it's Dabi! It has to be! The blue fire! Calling me and my father out by our real names! It has to be him! The police—"

"Can handle it. It's not their first time moving a witness to a safehouse or handling a supervillain. Mirko is also on stand-by." Aizawa-sensei interrupted, maintaining his disinterested facade. His long, black hair floated as his eyes remained locked on Todoroki. If it was not for Aizawa-sensei, the dual-Quirk user likely would have burst into flames by now. "Calm down and get ready to go. Endeavor will be here in twenty minutes to pick you up."

"What!" A chorus of surprise was exclaimed from all four of the students' mouths.

"As a concerned parent, he expressed doubts that this would be a safe place for his son." Principal Nezu calmly explained.

"Is this a joke?" Todoroki snapped, stepping forward only to be held back by Midoriya's hand.

"Todoroki-kun has a point! This is U.A. Loads of heroes are on campus at any given time and the best security in Japan." Midoriya argued, stepping in front of Todoroki. Under both of his teachers' disapproving glowers, he shrank back a bit.

"Which has been broken into twice before by both the media and the League of Villains." Aizawa-sensei deadpanned, deactivating his Quirk. Absently, he brushed his fingers over the new scar as the other hand reached for his eye drops. "You're upset and not thinking clearly, which could be what this arsonist wants. We don't know the full scale of this threat. Whoever is behind this has already proven that they can break into heavily-secured areas, burn it to the ground, and completely disappear. If it is Dabi, it is possible he is not working alone. It wouldn't be rational for Todoroki to stay here when his enemies would know exactly where to find him."

"He's right." Iida conceded, crossing his arms and closing his eyes in frustration.

"What! No, we can't leave him to deal with this by himself! We can protect him!" Uraraka declared, doing her best to look fierce.

"R-right! We're Todoroki's friends! We can back him up!" Midoriya stuttered, slowly growing more confident. "We beat Hero Killer: Stain, didn't we?"

"You survived Stain. Don't let it go to your head. Overconfidence has killed many heroes more experienced than you before." Aizawa-sensei dismissed. "Just because you have your Provisional Hero Licenses does not mean you can go hunting for unnecessary trouble, especially if it can be avoided."

"This is not up for discussion. Young Todoroki, your father will be here in seventeen minutes forty-three seconds. Please prepare what you will need for your trip." Principal Nezu declared, having enough of the conversation. Spinning on his heel, he began back towards the exit. However, he paused and turned to add, "I am sorry for your loss, Shoto."

With that said, he was gone. Aizawa-sensei stuck around to supervise, probably guessing Todoroki would take off at the first opportunity. Though the tired teacher was right in his assumption, the dual-Quirk user hated being treated like a troublemaker. Still, it did not go unnoticed that Aizawa-sensei seemed to find tatami floor more interesting while the young man grieved. He appreciated his teacher's courtesy.

Each of his friends tried to help in their own way. Uraraka hugged Todoroki every time he became overwhelmed, helping him to remember how to breathe. Iida took over packing for him during those moments, using military precision to ensure everything fit perfectly. Midoriya hung around the edges, unsure of what to say and afraid of making it worse. Soon, Todoroki was ready to go and followed Aizawa-sensei downstairs to wait for his father.

His eyes were red and puffy, but Todoroki refused to show any more weakness in front of his father. When Endeavor arrived, Todoroki silently placed his suitcase in the trunk and continued to ignore his father as he slid into the backseat. If his attitude bothered Endeavor, the older man didn't let it show. Perhaps, both were grateful for the quiet drive as neither spoke the whole way to the safehouse.

The cityscape gave way to greenery. The sun was peeking over the treetops by the time Endeavor pulled into a dirt driveway, just right of a rustic cottage. A dark cruiser was parked further up the path. The house itself was unremarkable, appealing to customers who wanted the camping experience without actually "roughing it". It stood a story and a half tall with a well-tended slate roof and balcony overlooking the garden. Every light was on, as if it was a lighthouse for weary travelers. Todoroki spent a moment too long staring at the smokeless chimney that he didn't notice his father get out of the car.

"Shoto…" Endeavor seemed conflicted, struggling for words. He knew that Fuyumi had taken over the burden of comforting the family when their mother—his wife—perished. Now that she… his daughter, his only daughter… she was gone too, he never felt so powerless as the duty fell upon him. So, when his son proceeded to ignore him and carry his suitcase into the safehouse, the older Todoroki simply let him. From the voices inside, Shoto got acquainted with the pair of officers inside. Thus, there was no reason for Endeavor to linger here, not when Dabi was still out there. His fists tightened as he got back into the car.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: **Anyone know how to say "I do not own My Hero Academia" in Latin?

**Author's Note:** I want to thank Dragonlover2143 and rainbowrider1290 for betaing my story. Enjoy!

* * *

Todoroki watched as Endeavor pulled away, unsurprised yet angry. Gritting his teeth, he thought of what a hypocritical, useless bastar—

"Young man, are you listening? This is important." The police officer asked, sternly. She reminded Todoroki of a living ice sculpture but wearing a police uniform. Her height almost had her head bumping against the ceiling and shoulders broad enough that she would have to go through doors sideways. As soon as Todoroki had entered the cottage, she had immediately begun to lecture him on the new safety protocols, not that Todoroki had really been listening.

Her partner was seated in the living room from what Todoroki could see from the threshold. The second officer's focus was on the several documents spread out in front of him. Unlike the first officer, he had an average build and had an appearance similar to his classmate, Ashido Mina, but with a blue and black color scheme instead. Several pearly white teeth peeked out from his lips, similar to an Oni mask. In short, both police officers certainly looked intimidating, yet Todoroki wondered if they would really be enough against a villain of Dabi's caliber.

"No, ma'am. I'm sorry." Todoroki said, his voice a deadpan. Honestly, he was just numb, too drained to be angry anymore. All he wanted was to be alone. The female officer seemed to sense the young man's bereavement.

"Look, kid." Her voice softened, crouching to his height. She placed a cold hand on his shoulder in an awkward attempt of comfort.

"My condolences. No one should go through two losses so soon, but we need to be on the same page here if I'm going to ensure your safety."

"Shoto!" Natsuo suddenly appeared at the top of the stairs. Then, he was at the bottom and pulled his younger brother into a tight hug. He was in pinstripe pajamas and his usually spiky hair was lopsided with bedhead. "When did you get here? I'm so glad you're here. I've been worried. How are you doing? How was the trip? Have you eaten? You must be exhausted. Here, let me help you carry that up to the loft."

Too stunned with the welcome, the dual-Quirk user didn't know how to react. Natsuo had never been so affectionate before. Though, then again, Todoroki didn't really know anything about his older brother after so many years of separation. Before he realized that he should return the hug, Natsuo had released him and reached for his suitcase.

"But," the female officer protested, straightening and crossing her arms.

"Oh, let them go, Shinoda. Yesterday was hard enough. Give them a chance to breathe and process." The second officer interrupted from his spot on the sofa. He gave the two boys a thumbs-up, to which Natsuo offered a small smile in gratitude. With one arm slung around his younger brother and the other snagging his suitcase, the white-hair lad immediately directed the younger boy upstairs.

The loft wasn't anything special. Some accent lighting hung over the brothers' heads, chasing out the gloomy night. There were beds and armoires on opposite sides of a glass door, which probably lead out to the small balcony. Various nature paintings decorated the otherwise bland room. Natsuo obviously settled in on the left side as a couple medical textbooks sat on the nightstand and several papers cluttered up the little work nook in the corner. Natsuo set the suitcase on the other bed.

"Hey. Still with me?" Natsuo asked, leaning against a bedpost. The younger boy blinked a couple times before the words finally registered.

"What? No, sorry."

"Hey, it's okay. You're still in shock and instead of having a chance to process it, you got stuck with Endeavor." Natsuo's disgust dripped from every word.

"Yeah… Hey, I'm not really up for talking." As relieved as Todoroki was to see that his brother was fine, he couldn't keep it together much longer. He just wanted to close his eyes and pretend none of it was real, that he was back in the dorms and not some musty cottage in the middle of nowhere, that his mother and Fuyumi… That his mother and Fuyumi… They were…

Tears rolled down his face without permission. They wouldn't stop, no matter how hard he tried to rub them dry. His bleeding heart had finally overflowed. The pain in his chest pulsed, causing the dual-Quirk user to gasp out. His legs gave out from beneath him, bringing him to his knees. Todoroki's hands caught him before he could completely crash the floor, utterly blinded by tears.

_It's all my fault. I could have saved them. I could have stopped Dabi back at the Training Camp. I should have stopped Dabi. It's all my fault._

Suddenly, Todoroki felt arms pull him into a warm embrace. Through his tears, he could see his brother holding him. The sight of the misery reflected back to him. He buried his face into Natsuo's chest. They stayed together until sleep finally claimed the troubled mind of the younger Todoroki.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: **I don't own My Hero Academia.

**Author's Note:** I want to thank rainbowrider1290 for betaing my story. Enjoy!

* * *

"—get us together. Just wait."

"I know. I know. I don't like this either."

"What am I supposed to do?"

"Natsuo?" Todoroki groggily mumbled, sitting up in bed. Natsuo flinched at the sound of his voice and immediately snapped his flip phone shut. Something about that action nagged at Todoroki from the back of his mind.

"Shoto! Sorry, did I wake you?" The older boy sheepishly asked, shoving the offending object into his pocket. "I didn't think you would be up for a few more hours."

Todoroki blinked at him, wondering what his older brother was doing in his dorm room. Then, he noticed that a quilt replaced his usual bedspread before realizing the rest of his room also underwent a rustic makeover. He was also still in yesterday's clothes. Finally, the memories came flooding back.

"Shoto?" Natsuo's concerned voice snapped Todoroki back to the present.

"What? Oh, umm… No, you're fine. It was time for me to get up anyway." Todoroki stammered, rubbing his eyes. Out of the corner of his vision, he noticed the clock for the first time. It was almost ten. He had slept in.

"Shoto, you got in at, like four in the morning. It would be okay to get more sleep."

"No, it's fine. I… I slept in the car." Shoving away the quilt, Todoroki swung his legs out and regretted it immediately. His body complained about leaving the comfort of the bed and his brain reluctantly fought off the blissful protection of sleep. As he stood, the pounding in his head whittled away the numbness from last night's shock.

"Well, okay." Natsuo rubbed his neck contemplatively. "Let's grab you something to eat and then—"

"I'm not hungry." The words were a lie yet an automatic response. Todoroki didn't want to eat. No, he wanted… He needed to do something. He just didn't know what. Well, he did know. He should be out there hunting Dabi, but he doubted he could pull that off, not by himself. He wished his friends were here.

"Shoto, you need to eat." Natsuo interrupted his introspection, crossing his arms sternly. In that stance, he really reminded Todoroki of Endeavor. The young hero could feel his temper rising at the resemblance.

"I'm not hungry." Todoroki reaffirmed grouchily. However, under his brother's glare, he amended it, "I'll eat later. Lunch, okay? You pick."

"Nope, little brother. Now. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day." Natsuo started to drag him towards the stairs. "Your supply of glucose needs replenishment. Plus, it will help you feel better."

"Stop it! I don't need your help! Just leave!" Todoroki finally snapped, ripping his hand out of his brother's grip. Even, Iida wasn't this annoying. Again, he wished that his friends were here. They would listen and wouldn't push him around, acting as if they know better. They didn't turn their backs on him when his father beat him in the dojo. They… They…

Todoroki had never seen Natsuo look so destroyed before. His gaze directed anywhere but at his brother. Yet, his stance was straight as if he was accepting his punishment, like he deserved every bit of verbal abuse from the younger man. But, that was neither true nor fair. Mom and Fuyumi were his family too. It wasn't Natsuo's fault that they were gone either… Nor was it his fault what Todoroki went through under their father's thumb.

_Does he blame himself like I do?_ The thought flashed through the hero's mind. Reminding himself that Natsuo was just looking out for him, Todoroki tried for a more civil approach.

"I'm… sorry. I'm just…" The dual-Quirk user faltered, unsure what to say.

"Right. Umm… I get it. I'll give you some space." Natsuo sighed, shoving his hands into his pockets. "The babysitters will want to talk to you too. So, yeah. I'll let them know you're awake."

With that said, the white-haired boy beat a retreat down the stairs. Todoroki cursed himself and collapsed back on the bed, head in his hands. He was going to make this right with Natsuo. They were all each other had left for family, after all. They were both grieving, Natsuo especially. He had spent more time with both Mom and Fuyumi, whether it was volunteering at Mom's hospital or giving their sister a ride to work.

Todoroki had wanted to grow closer with his mother and siblings too, but Endeavor created a divide and the path of a hero seemed to be taking him even farther from them. Then, All Might retired. Endeavor made his promises, which inspired new opportunities. Fuyumi had talked about how nice it would be for them to all be together as a family and Mom had believed in second chances. Maybe, this was his second chance. Maybe, he and Natsuo could work together through their grief. They could honor the memories of Mom and Fuyumi by granting their wish and learning how to be a real family.

_Maybe, it's not too late… _

Determined, Todoroki stood again and started after his brother, only to meet an officer halfway up the stairs. He wasn't one of the two from last night… err, this morning? This officer had stringy hair and a reptilian appearance. The snakelike eyes were the most unnerving feature, but he didn't seem that much older than Natsuo.

"Ahh, your brother told me you were up. I'm Officer Yamakagashi. You can call me Gashi though, since we'll be stuck together through this. Might as well make the best of it, am I right? I mean, we are going to be coworkers someday." He ended that with an awkward chuckle. All Todoroki could do was stare. After a considerable pause, the officer tried again.

"You only got second in the Sport Festival, right? I watched your performance. Shoulda got first in my opinion. Still, you'll be quite the hero when you grow up. Just like your proud papa." Gashi smiled, trying to put the young man at ease. Various options of getting out of this painful conversation to find Natsuo played through Todoroki's head before he finally settled on the direct approach. Sidestepping the rookie cop, the young hero made his way down the stairs and towards the kitchen.

"Uh, Officer Shinoda mentioned that you weren't fully briefed on the safety protocols, but I guess you would know the basics, being a hero and all." Gashi chased after the irked teen. "Typical house arrest until the culprit is caught. Not that you're actually arrested or anything. Just means no phone or social media. Can't let the world know where you are or makes the hiding thing moot, ya know?"

Todoroki had been glancing around the kitchen, trying to guess where Natsuo would have gone while mostly ignoring Gashi's ramblings, when something the officer suddenly clicked.

_No phones. Aizawa-sensei had confiscated mine before I left. So, why did Natsuo still have his? More importantly, who was he talking to?_ The thoughts bounced in Todoroki's head as different voices from the last few days echoed in his ears.

"_If it is Dabi, it is possible he is not working alone."_

"_Todoroki Fuyumi was the only reported casualty in this recent attack."_

"_Whoever is behind this has already proven that they can break into heavily-secured areas…"_

"_Your mother is dead."_

He had to find Natsuo now.

"Officer Yamakagashi, where is my brother? I need to speak with him." Todoroki pressed in his best Aizawa impression, leaving no room for senseless talk.

"Oh, uh, I think he's out in the garden. You guys went through some terrible losses; I mean, I get it." Gashi babbled, clumsily patting the young man's shoulder.

"By himself?" Todoroki pressed, maintaining his strict composure despite the feelings of frustration roaring through him at this incompetence. His fists were trembling in his restraint.

"Well, he said he needed a minute. Don't worry, my partner's out front, keeping watch of the road. No one getting to you two without going past him." The rookie assured, noting the growing agitation in Todoroki's heterochromia eyes.

"Where's Officer Shinoda and her partner?" He hoped the more competent duo were nearby. If his hunches were right, they were going to need all the help they could get.

"Well, they're off. Probably at home, res—" Todoroki didn't wait for Gashi to finish, already pulling on some shoes.

"Call them. Get some back-up here now! I'm going after Natsuo." Todoroki ordered and bolted out the backdoor, leaving the cop spluttering behind him. As expected, Natsuo was nowhere to be seen in the garden. So, the hero sprinted towards the woods. An inner fire flared with each step.

"Natsuo! Natsuo! Where are you? Natsuo!" Todoroki bellowed, bursting into a clearing. His gaze darted around, trying to guess where his brother could have gone.

"Shoto? What do you think you're doing? You shouldn't be charging around here. It's not safe." Todoroki abruptly spun around to face his older brother entering the clearing. At the sight of him, second thoughts began to turn into doubts, but there were too many coincidences that demanded answers.

"I should be asking you the same thing." The teen responded coldly, staring hard at his older brother.

"What are you talking about? You ran right past me in the garden. I had to chase you down. Seriously, I know this is hard and all, but—" The med student reprimanded, running a hand through his spiky hair. He still wouldn't meet Todoroki in the eye.

"You're lying."

"Look, you just didn't see me. Not surprising, considering you were running around like a chicken with its head cut off." Natsuo shrugged with a hint of mirth and waved away the accusation, but Todoroki refused to believe him. There was no way he would overlook his brother when scanning the perimeter, especially not after a semester of training with Aizawa-sensei.

"Alright, then who were talking to this morning?" Todoroki shot back, trying to throw the older boy off with the quick change of topic.

"You heard that?" Natsuo quickly covered his surprise with outrage. "You were eavesdropping on my conversation with my girlfriend. God, what's up with you?"

"You're still lying! Fuyumi was just murdered! And you're chatting with your girlfriend when we are supposed to have no outside contact? That makes no sense!"

"We have targets on our backs, Shoto! What if whoever behind this decides to go after her since they can't get us? Just think about it!"

"I did. I also noticed something. There's a lot of things about this that don't make sense. Like, how would Dabi break into Mom's room? She was in the most secured wing of the hospital, but a medical student would know where to go to get the spare keys."

"You're ridiculous! I'm working for a degree in health and welfare, not psychiatry!"

"Why else would he bother to destroy the security footage? He never bothered to hide his involvement in the past before. So, why would he now? Unless, he had a new partner who he didn't want anyone to know about."

"Are you seriously accusing me? She was my mother too!"

"Another thing, how did Dabi know the exact day Fuyumi would go back to work or that she would stay late? When everyone else would have gone home?"

"Oh, sure. I just texted, Hey Dabi! Sis is all alone. Care to go over and murder her? Why would I do that, Shoto?" He shot back, pantomiming texting on an imaginary phone.

"To destroy Dad." The venom of that fateful dinner still echoed in Todoroki's mind. It had been the first time that he had ever seen his older brother get emotional, pouring out all he suffered over the last ten years. His bitterness over being deemed a failure, his disgust in Endeavor's perceived change, and his sorrow in losing their eldest brother… Yet, there were other things confessed that night.

"We're strangers; you said it yourself! Nothing to hold you back from all of this, but Endeavor would feel it if we were all gone. Every eye would be on us, especially with Endeavor as the number one hero. You would destroy any hope of trust in the public, expose him as an abuser, increase backlash in Mom and Fuyumi's deaths, and then destroy his legacy." Todoroki revealed, growing colder with each ugly word. Natsuo's expression became unreadable.

"You're Dabi's partner."

At that accusation, it felt all the air was stuck out of the clearing. The two young men stood across from each other. Todoroki waited, running through every counter argument for Natsuo's predicted denial. The silence stretched between them with only the intermittent rustling of the trees and brush in the background to disrupt it. Abruptly, his older brother broke down in tears, completely catching the young hero off-guard.

"I didn't think you hated me that much." Natsuo choked out between sobs, rubbing his eyes with his forearm. His breathes were hitched with loud sniffs. Guilt suddenly coursed through Todoroki as the leaps of logic played through his head.

_What am I doing?_

Todoroki carefully approached his brother and placed a hand on his back, only to be swatted away. He had to make this right, but at a total loss on how. He hesitantly walked up his brother. The words of apology stuck in his throat, unsure if there was anything that could be said that could salvaged their relationship. Their only chance and Todoroki set it ablaze.

A loud rustling behind the brothers set Todoroki on high alert. It couldn't be the police. They would have announced themselves. It sounded too big to just be a squirrel. His mismatched eyes scanned the forest line, only for him to realize how vulnerable they were. He didn't like this, turning abruptly.

_There! _A shadow definitely moved. Todoroki squinted at the sighting, but it was gone. Dabi? With Natsuo here, the young hero didn't like their chances if it was the B-class villain. They had to get back to the safe house now. Focused on their surroundings, Todoroki turned to grab his brother, only to be surprised as he was engulfed in ice.

"Damn, you really dragged that out, didn't you?" Dabi remarked dryly, stepping into the clearing.

"Well, you took your sweet time to get here." Natsuo dried his face on his sleeve, trying to avoid looking at the frozen shock on Todoroki's face. "Let's finish this. Those idiot cops will thaw out soon."

"Sure, sure." Dabi waved him off, igniting the forest. Natsuo watched the blue fire roaring through the greenery, reminding himself that it was almost over. He was only sad that he won't be able to see their revenge come to fruition when Endeavor hears this attack. Nothing left of his legacy but ash.


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: **I don't own My Hero Academia.

**Author's Note:** I want to thank rainbowrider1290 for betaing my story. Enjoy!

* * *

Enji sat on a lawn chair in the backyard without a single wisp of his usual fire. A bottle of expensive whiskey weighed heavily in his hand. His back was to his house, his empty house. He had no desire to go in, despite the fact it had started to drizzle. The cold was welcomed relief. Maybe, he would get lucky and it would rain, quieting the ghosts of memories inside that damned house at least for a little while. Even now, he could still hear them: Rei's weeping in the kitchen, Shoto's pleading to be done in the dojo, Natsuo's anger in the dining room, and Fuyumi's prayers upstairs. They may all be gone, but their echoes will haunt him until the day he finally joins them in the afterlife. Maybe, he can earn their forgiveness there at long last.

"Never took you for much of a drinker." A familiar voice commented casually behind him. A glance over Enji's shoulder revealed Dabi leaning against the side of the house. Murderous rage boiled within the grieving man, but his voice remained calm.

"Help yourself." Heavily, he placed the unopened bottle on the patio table. A whiskey glass sat expectedly beside it. "Every dead man deserves a final drink."

"Dead man?" Dabi chuckled, pouring the shot. "Then, am I pouring this for you? Otherwise, they might take away your little piece of plastic for planning a murder. Not very heroic, you understand."

"I turned my hero license this morning. I don't need it anymore." Enji kept his turquoise eyes fixated on the landscape, which was starting to piss the young villain off.

"Holy shit. You're gonna make this easy, ain't ya? Wish the rest of the family got the memo. Would have saved me some effort." Dabi cavalierly remarked, trying to rile up that infamous Endeavor pride. He came here for a fight after all, not this pity party.

"You killed him too, didn't you?" Those words were more statement than question. Dabi's grip on the shot tightened.

"In denial there, old man? Hoping that your masterpiece is still alive? Aww, isn't that _sweet_?" The shot exploded into a ball of blue flames as Dabi threw it at the man's back. However, Enji was already in motion, rolling out of the way and back on his feet. Now, he looked at the man who murdered his family.

"Toya." Enji accused, still kneeling on the ground in anticipation of the next attack, but Dabi had froze at the familiar name. "After All-Might's retirement… After I became number one, I tried to find my son to make amends, but I never could. You killed him."

Dabi couldn't stop himself in his incredulousness. He laughed. Enji rose to his full height, hands ready to rip the burned man in half. His face screwed in a mixture of pain and hatred. His famous flames returned, but Dabi laughed all the same.

"Is that what you think? I knew you were in denial, but I didn't think it would be this bad." Dabi admitted between breaths.

"Enough of these games! Tell me!" Enji bellowed, suddenly in front of Dabi and hauling him up by the lapels of his dark blue coat. Dabi just smiled lazily, despite his toes barely skimming the ground.

"I didn't have to kill Toya Todoroki. You already did." Enji's eyes widened in shock as Dabi punched him in the face. With his long coat free of the larger man's grasp, Dabi kicked him back to increase the gap between them. The former hero managed to catch his balance and sidestepped another burst of blue fire, raising one arm to his face in protection.

"What? Don't you remember? Let me set the stage." Dabi announced, not letting up in his attacks and growing more frenzied by the moment. "After you goaded Toya into nearly burning himself alive for a hopeless obsession, he was hospitalized and spent months in recovery. Instead of coming home to a loving family, he found he'd been replaced. A new legacy had been born, his father's masterpiece."

Enji summoned Hellflame to him and tried to corner Dabi in a burning ring, effectively sealing off any escape, but the villain didn't seem to care. Trying to overwhelm Enji's immunity, Dabi kept pouring on the heat, satisfied with every smoldering ember singed on his opponent. He didn't care that his own skin began to reek of burnt flesh.

"But what of Toya, the failure? You threw him out of the house." Finally, the sick smile dropped from Dabi's face as his voice rose into a roar, "DO YOU REMEMBER THAT? WHAT YOU SAID NEXT? DO YOU REMEMBER?"

"I am no murderer." Enji declared, concentrating flames to his feet. He launched himself at the young man. Caught off-guard at the sudden speed, the scarred killer had no time to dodge before Enji's fingers were around his throat. On instinct, Dabi's hands were already trying to relieve the tightening pressure from around his neck.

"You're dead to me." Dabi grunted as a sneer played at his lips, but a different echo in Enji's own voice rang out in the ex-hero's head. The elder Todoroki stared at the young man; his eyes traced over the details of his opponent's face. His desire screamed at him to crush the B-class villain's larynx right there and then, but his trembling hand would not respond. "You remember that, Dad?"

"Toya?"


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer:** I do not own My Hero Academia.

**Author's Note:** I struggled a long time with how to end this story. I originally planned to leave it with the Dabi vs Enji fight, because I wanted to leave it open-ended and let the readers decide whether or not Dabi murdered the Todorokis. Then, I had an idea for two endings. So, I'll post the first ending here and the alternate ending will be posted later as its own thing. Let me know what you think of the ending. Also, I want to thank rainbowrider1290 for beta-reading my story. I don't think I would have ever finished without her encouragement. Love ya, bud!

Natsuo fiddled with the hemodialysis machine, constantly checking the heart monitor. If it wasn't for this particular piece of medical equipment warming and recirculating blood in the body, the white-haired man doubted that Shoto would have survived being frozen solid. That was why Natsuo didn't ask his older brother how he got his hands on such expensive and invaluable device. In the background, the heart monitor beeped a slow beat, but at least it was finally out of the danger zone. He sighed in exhaustion and slumped in the chair next to Shoto's bed, leaving him with nothing to do but reflect.

In an ironic twist, he found himself dressed like an actual doctor, wearing a white lab coat over his T-shirt and jeans. Even, a stethoscope hung around his neck. The ex-medical student chuckled to himself without any , he would be an ex-med student now. He broke the doctor's golden rule after all: do no harm. Now, here he was pretending to be a doctor, in the hopes that he didn't accidentally kill his little brother.

Natsuo took some comfort in seeing the puffs of breath on Shoto's oxygen mask, but knowing that it was his own fault that his little brother required the humidified air in the first place ate away at him. Natsuo dreaded trying to explain to Shoto why it had been necessary to freeze him solid and put his life at risk like that, especially since it wasn't true.

They had a plan. Toya had a plan, but Natsuo panicked. He screwed up and now… He couldn't bear to look at the occupant in the bed, hoping it was a matter of when, not if, the patient woke up. He sighed, rubbing his eyes.

"Out of all of us, you're the strongest, Shoto." Natsuo remarked, reaching out to smooth one of the heated blankets. "Toya may not admit it, but it's true. I guess that scared me a bit… Because… Because, you two would have to meet again and…"

"You didn't want them to fight." Natsuo, startled, turned sharply towards the gentle voice. Standing in the doorway was a woman with white hair with rather long bangs over her face and brown-gray eyes. The perpetual exhaustion on her face from the last time he had seen her was gone. In place of her hospital clothes, she wore a yellow blouse and a white knee-length skirt. Seeing his mother wait for an invitation, the spiky-haired youth simply nodded and waved her in encouragingly. With a smile, Rei gracefully crossed the threshold before sitting on the edge of the bed and brushing a hand over her youngest's face, careful of the breathing mask.

"How is he?" She inquired, glancing at Natsuo. He seemed to shrink a bit under her gaze as guilt crawled through his heart.

"Shoto is making good progress. Once he wakes up, I'll take him off the hemodialysis machine and set him up with an IV of warmed intravenous solution of salt water." Natsuo stated in an almost monotone, focusing on answering her question. "And, see if he can drink some hot apple cider."

"Cider?" Rei repeated, surprised. He wished she would stop looking at him like that, as if he was a real practitioner of medicine.

"Yeah, he will need something warm, sweet, nonalcoholic, and non-caffeinated to help warm the body." He stood suddenly. "I think I'll… I'll just go get some."

"That sounds lovely. I can come with—" Rei began to offer, but Natsuo dart out the door before she could finish her thought. As he hurried down the hall, he cursed himself for brushing his mother off. He was doing it again, acting like _him_. Guilt turned to anger as he thought about his father, if the man could be even called that, had truly tainted his every action.

After all, Natsuo chose to be a hero like him. Sure, it was against disease, instead of villainy, but it was a hero's role all the same. With a temper to match, Natsuo was positive that he would just be another watered down copy of Endeavor. Thank god, Toya managed to save him before then.

Together, they planned to save all of them actually, starting with Mom. Natsuo entered the little kitchenette as the memories of those first few nights drifted through his mind. Mom had been by far the easiest to convince. Naturally, Natsuo assumed the same would be true with Fuyumi; only to be proven wrong when she clocked him in the gut. Toya was the one to eventually calm her down funnily enough. Well, after he revealed himself to be their eldest brother. That was an awkward conversation.

Natsuo chuckled to himself as he pulled the jug out of the fridge and poured a glass of apple cider. Seeing the murky liquid, the smile fell. They both knew Shoto was going to be the hardest. Their little brother had been the one to carry the brunt of Endeavor's legacy as the masterpiece, being brainwashed by the false heroes of U.A.

Natsuo would admit that when he first heard of Stain and his ideology, he was among those who labelled the supervillain as another one of the bloodthirsty fanatics plaguing the world. Then Toya explained it, showing the younger man how these false heroes were corrupting society and giving rise to more Pro-Heroes like Endeavor. All obsessed with being number one. Bakugo Katsuki from the Sports Festival was a prime example.

Natsuo placed the glass in the microwave, slamming each button with much force than necessary. With all this factored in, they knew Shoto was going to be the hardest. That's why the plan was for Dabi to attack the safe house while Natsuo drugged Shoto with stolen Rohypnol. The drug's paralyzing effects would have made it easier to sneak away with Shoto, but Natsuo forgot the effects of grief, which erased Shoto's appetite and made him more emotional and paranoid to handle than usual. Of course, like an idiot, Natsuo had run straight to Toya to change their timetable. He couldn't risk another phone call after Shoto almost caught the first one and instead, nearly exposed Toya in his panicked state. Natsuo looked at his hands. They were his mistakes.

The beeping of the microwave nearly caused him to jump out of his skin. Right… apple cider… He carefully pulled the drink out, practically burning his tongue with the first sip. He might have to let that cool a bit before giving it to Shoto, which shouldn't be a problem since he wasn't awake yet anyway. But, he will be. Natsuo was going to ensure it.

_Maybe, we can have some cold soba_. He glanced around the kitchenette, making a mental list of ingredients. While he doubted Shoto's favorite dish would be much help in earning forgiveness for being frozen solid, it might go a long way as a peace offering. He should text Toya to pick up the missing ingredients.

Speaking of his older brother, he had been gone for quite a while. Natsuo frowned as Toya had assured him last night that he would be back soon. Whatever he was up to, Natsuo hoped it wouldn't take much longer. After all, he was going to need all the help he could get with Shoto and it would be nice for someone else to escort Fuyumi to her bathroom breaks. It'd take some getting used to, but Natsuo was sure that they would learn to be a family again.


End file.
